Minggu, 24 Juni 2012

Today, I’d
like to tell you a legend from South Sea, central Java. The title is ‘the stone
flower’ or ‘Bunga Batu’. Well, listen carefully.

A long long
time ago, there people of Wanakerta Kingdom were very worried because Queen
Dewi Kalasekti had suffered from a strange illness for a long time. Doctors and shamans were ordered to cure the Queen
but she was not healed.

Meanwhile,
the high priest of the kingdom was praying to God, when he heard a voice echoing.
“the queen can be cured by the stone flower. This flower has no leaves or stem.
It is white. It grows on a stone hill in the same direction of the sunset.

Well, the
Queen then ordered Tumenggung Arungbiang to search for the flower. Tumenggung
Arungbinang was a brave, honest, and loyal nobleman.

It so
happened then, Tumenggung Arungbinang followed the direction of the sunset.
Finally he arrived at a steep hill slope near the South Sea. What happened
then? He climbed up the hill. But alas! As he was climbing up the hill be
slipped and slid down, he rolled over and fell down unconscious.

Slowly, he
woke up and you know what? He saw a beautiful princess treating his wound
gently. Then, she fed him with some hot soup.

“who are
you? Are you a princess?” asked Tumenggung Arungbinang.

“I am Dewi
Tisnawati, the guardian fairy who guards the stone flower garden” said Dewi
Tisnawati gently. “it’s God’s will that the first man who comes here will be my
husband to-be. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

“but …. But
… I have to get the stone flower for my queen, princess. She is terribly ill.”
Said Arungbinang.

“don’t
worry. You’ll recover soon and I’ll show you the way to get the flower.”

So to cut a
long, Tumenggung Arungbinang managed to get the stone flower with the help of
Dewi Tisnawati. Do you know that the stone flower was? It was actually a
swallow’s nest and made of the bird’s saliva then it was sleeping. The nest was
stuck on the cave wall of Karangbolong hill.

“would you
came back to marry me after you have finished your task?” asked Dewi Tisnawati.

“yes, you
have my word, Dewi,” replied Tumenggung Arungbinang.

Arungbinang took
the flower to the Queen and the stone flower was made into soup and given to
the Queen. Day by day, the Queen was getting healthier and healthier. The queen
was touched by Arungbinang’s story and gave her blessing for Arungbinang to
marry Dewi Tisnawati.

So in the
end, Tumenggung Arungbinang and Dewi Tisnawati got married and lived happily
ever after at Karangbolong hill.